Power boat stabilizing device



1957 R. B. ALEXANDER 2,816,521

POWER BOAT STABILIZING DEVICE Filed Feb. 28, 1956 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

United Sites Patent POWER BUAT STABILIZING DEVICE Robert B. Alexander, Baton Rouge, La. Application February 28, 1956, Serial No. 568,347 1 Claim. (Cl. 114-66.5)

This invention relates to a stabilizer designed for attachment to the stems of power boats in the small or medium class, to insure the boat operating on an even keel regardless of the position or location of the load or cargo carried thereby.

An important object of the invention is to provide a stabilizer of this character which will result in the boat being operated with a substantial reduction in drag and water resistance, due to the lifting power created by the forward motion of the boat and turbulent water caused by the operation of the propeller which is usually located directly beneath the stabilizer.

Another important object of the invention is to elevate the stern of the boat on which the stabilizer is mounted, lending to the ease in boat maneuverability.

A further object of the invention is to provide stabilizers which may be readily moved to positions out of the way, permitting operation of the boat in the usual manner.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter described and the novel features thereof defined in the appended claim.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a boat equipped with stabilizers, constructed in accordance with the invention, the stabilizers being shown as extended to their operative positions.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmental sectional view of the stern of a boat, the stabilizer being illustrated in full lines in its extended position, and indicated in dotted lines in its folded or out of the way position.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the reference character 5 indicates the hull of a small or medium class boat of the outboard motor type having what is known as a square stern.

The stabilizer constituting the subject matter of the present invention comprises a pair of wide blades 6 of identical construction, the blades being pivotally connected to the stern of the boat at opposite sides of the keel of the boat, as better shown by Fig. 2 of the drawing.

Since these stabilizer blades are identical in construction, it is believed necessary only to describe one blade in detail.

Hinges 7 are connected with the rear edges of the blades 6 adjacent to the boat hull, and provide supports for the blades.

The hinges 7 are so constructed that the blades may swing vertically in various adjusted positions, for accomplishing the purpose of the invention, and to better adapt the stabilizer for use with a particular load.

Rising from the inner surface of each blade 6, is an ear 8 to which an adjusting arm 9 is pivotally connected. The arm 9 is of a length to extend to the keeper plate 10 secured to the outer surface of the stern of the boat, the keeper plate being provided with a plurality of spaced openings 11 to receive the reduced end 12 of the adjusting arm 9.

A pivoted latch 13 is secured to the stern of the hull of the boat and is arranged adjacent to the upper end of the keeper plate 10, the pivoted latch being so designed that it may be moved over the upper end of the plate 6 when the plate 6 has been moved to the dotted line position as shown by Fig. 3 of the drawing, thereby supporting the wide blade in its inactive position against the stern of the boat, where it Will be out of the way and will not in any way interfere with the normal operation of the boat.

From the foregoing it will be seen that due to the construction shown and described, I have provided a stabilizer embodying a pair of pivoted wide blades that are secured to the stern of a boat in such a way that they may be extended to various angular positions with respect to the pitch of the stern of the boat to assist their lifting of the stern of the boat, the position of the blades regulaing the amount of draft of the boat to lend to the ease in boat maneuverability.

It will also be seen that due to this construction the blades 6 may be set to various or different angular positions with respect to each other, to insure the boat operating on an even keel regardless of the location of the load or cargo within the hull of the boat.

It might be further stated that the stabilizer blades may be so set that the propeller which operates directly beneath the stabilizer, may operate at a point nearer the water surface thereby increasing the speed of the boat by reducing water resistance.

Having thus described the invention-What is claimed 1s:

In a boat, a stabilizer comprising a pair of wide rectangular blades pivotally connected to the stern board of a boat at opposite sides of the boat keel and adjacent to the bottom of the boat, adjusting arms pivotally connected with the inner surfaces of said blades, said arms having reduced ends, keeper plates secured to the stern board of the boat, said keeper plates embodying a plurality of spaced openings into which the reduced end of said adjusting arm extends normally holding said blades in their positions of adjustment, and a pair of latch members above said keeper plates for releasably locking said plates in inoperative position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,855,076 Warner Apr. 19, 1932 2,576,744 Anderson Nov. 27, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 658,641 Great Britain Oct. 10, 1951 

